Anna’s Hummingbird

Calypte anna

Birb mood: the tiny disco knight

A pugnacious, jewel-throated hummingbird that overwinters along the Pacific coast and sings — yes, sings — through the cold.

Also known as: Anna Hummingbird

What's in a name? The species honours Anna Masséna, a 19th-century Italian duchess; Calypte derives from Greek for "covered" or "veiled", a nod to the male's hidden, flashing colour.

Expert-reviewed by Dr. Priya Anand, ornithologist Last reviewed May 10, 2026

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 13 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Canada Birds of Mexico Birds of the United States Birds of Alberta Birds of British Columbia Birds of Newfoundland and Labrador Birds of Ontario Birds of Quebec Birds of Saskatchewan Birds of Yukon Territory

By family

Hummingbirds of Canada Hummingbirds of Mexico Hummingbirds of the United States

See what's near you right now

The Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) is a member of the Trochilidae family found in North America. Adults measure 9–11 cm and weigh 3–6 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Apodiformes
Family Trochilidae Hummingbirds
Genus Calypte
Species anna

Where it lives

Southwestern Canada, western USA and northwestern Mexico

North America

Quick facts

Size: 9–11 cm
Weight: 3–6 g
Wingspan: 12 cm
Lifespan: 2 years typical; up to 8 recorded
Clutch size: 2 tiny white eggs
Diet: Nectar-feeders
Family: Trochilidae
Order: Apodiformes
Habitat: Deserts & Scrub, Suburban Gardens

How to identify

Main colours Green Iridescent Red

Males show a rose-pink crown and throat that can flash or look black depending on the angle. Both sexes are stocky for a hummingbird, with a grey-green body and a straight, medium-length bill.

Male vs female

Males have the full magenta crown and gorget; females are green above and grey below, usually with a small central patch of pink throat feathers.

Juvenile appearance

Young birds resemble females; young males gradually acquire scattered pink gorget feathers as they mature.

Similar birds

Least Concern

Biology & behaviour

Diet

Nectar from flowers and feeders for fuel, plus small insects and spiders for the protein that nectar lacks. It will hawk gnats from mid-air with startling agility.

Behaviour

Fiercely territorial around food, chasing off rivals many times its size. To survive cold nights it can drop into torpor, slowing its heart and metabolism dramatically until dawn.

Breeding

One of the earliest nesters on the continent, sometimes building its walnut-sized lichen-and-spider-silk nest as early as December. The female raises the young alone.

Migration

Largely resident — unusual for a hummingbird — with some short-distance, post-breeding movements to higher ground or fresh blooms.

Population trend: Increasing

Anna’s Hummingbird is the bold, year-round sprite of the North American Pacific coast. The male’s gorget and crown flare an electric rose-magenta when the light hits right, then vanish to dull grey when it does not — a trick of structural colour, not pigment.Tougher than its size suggests, Anna’s has expanded its range north as gardens and feeders spread, and it is one of the few hummingbirds to hold territory and sing through winter. The male’s breathtaking dive display ends in a sharp chirp made not by the voice but by the tail feathers.